'No way' and then 'oh no' with Florida science standards

Two weeks ago, Ursula Goodenough, a scientist under contract with the Fordham Institute to assess the biology portion of science standards nationwide, came in for a surprise when she looked at Florida's: They were good. Really good. Especially for their treatment of human evolution.

But then, almost immediately after she posted her thoughts on NPR.org, the National Center for Science Education hit her with reality: The standards were under fire, again, in the state Legislature, because of a bill sponsored by state Sen. Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville.

Wrote Goodenough yesterday in a follow-up blog post about SB 1854: "It is sad that we are in a situation where a Senator Wise can attempt to meddle with the excellent work of the Standards Committee, and hence confuse the science education of young persons living in Florida. Sure, I know, free speech and all that. It's still sad."

Science education supporters are hopeful that Wise's bill is stalled again this year, but nobody wants to say for sure. The session ends May 6.

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.